Highly efficient angularly resolving x-ray spectrometer optimized for absorption measurements with collimated sources

Area of Science:

• Plasma Physics
• X-ray Spectroscopy
• Accelerator Science

Background:

• Laser wakefield accelerators (LWFA) produce highly collimated betatron radiation, a promising X-ray source.
• Existing spectrometers are not optimized for the unique properties of betatron radiation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a novel spectrometer tailored for betatron radiation.
• To achieve high energy and angular resolution for spectroscopic applications.

Main Methods:

• Development of a spectrometer with <5 eV energy resolution at 9 keV (E/ΔE > 1800).
• Incorporation of angular resolution to simultaneously record reference and spectrum.
• Utilizing single photon analysis to minimize background noise.
• Employing a ray-tracing algorithm for theoretical performance calculations.

Main Results:

• Experimental demonstration of the spectrometer's performance using copper (Cu) K-edge absorption.
• Achieved high spectral resolution (<5 eV at 9 keV) and angular resolution.
• Validated theoretical predictions with experimental data.

Conclusions:

• The developed spectrometer is well-suited for spectroscopic analysis of betatron radiation.
• The instrument enables simultaneous spectral and angular characterization of X-ray emission.
• This advancement facilitates advanced spectroscopic measurements using LWFA sources.